Method and apparatus for analyzing subsurfaces of a target material

ABSTRACT

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for aligning first and second light signals on an optical path directed to a target, where the first light signal provides a visualization of the target, and a portion of the second light signal reflects from at least one subsurface of the target. The method also includes aligning a first focal point of the first light signal and a second focal point of the second light signal, where the first focal point is at least in a first proximate location of the second focal point, and adjusting a first position of the first and second focal points to be in at least a second proximate location of the target without adjusting the at least first proximate location of the first focal point relative to the second focal point. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Pat.No. 8,543,192 filed Nov. 10, 2011, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to a method and apparatus foranalyzing subsurfaces of a target material.

BACKGROUND

Optical signal acquisition and processing methods such as opticalcoherence tomography (OCT) can be useful in medical as well asindustrial applications. OCT, for example, can employ near infraredlight to penetrate a range of subsurfaces of a target material. Thescattered infrared light reflected from the target material can be usedto generate micrometer resolution of three or two-dimensional imagesthat are descriptive of the subsurfaces of the target material. Inmedical applications, these images can assist a physician to diagnoseabnormalities in biological tissue. In industrial applications, imagesgenerated from materials that can absorb and reflect light signals suchas near infrared light can provide engineers or other specialistsinsight into the subsurfaces of non-biological materials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale.

FIGS. 1-2 depict illustrative embodiments of rear and sidecross-sectional views of a probe;

FIGS. 3-4 depict illustrative embodiments of optics configurations ofthe probe of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of an imaging system utilizingthe probe of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method operating inportions of the system of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7-9 depict illustrative embodiments of images produced by theimaging system of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a medical devicecomprising a first light source for emitting a first light signaloperating in a first region of the light spectrum that enablesvisualization of a target tissue, and a second light source for emittinga second light signal operating in a second region of the light spectrumthat enables a reflection of a portion of the second light signal fromat least one subsurface of the target tissue. The medical imaging devicecan further have a first optical device providing a coaxial optical pathof the first light signal and the second light signal and providing afirst focal point of the first light signal to be in at least aproximate location of a second focal point of the second light signal,and a second optical device to adjust the first focal point of the firstlight signal without changing the at least proximate location of thefirst focal point relative to the second focal point.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method for aligningfirst and second light signals on an optical path directed to a target,wherein the first light signal provides a visualization of the target,and wherein a portion of the second light signal reflects from at leastone subsurface of the target, aligning a first focal point of the firstlight signal and a second focal point of the second light signal, wherethe first focal point is at least in a first proximate location of thesecond focal point, and adjusting a first position of the first andsecond focal points to be in at least a second proximate location of thetarget without adjusting the at least first proximate location of thefirst focal point relative to the second focal point.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer-readablestorage medium comprising computer instructions, which when executed byat least one processor, causes the at least one processor to receivefrom a probe a reflection of a portion of a second light signal from atleast one subsurface of a target, and determine from the reflection animage descriptive of the at least one subsurface. The probe can beadapted to project an identifying mark on a surface of the target with afirst light signal while at the same time applying the second lightsignal to the target, where the identifying mark is coincident with afirst focal point of the first light signal, and where a second focalpoint of the second light signal is in a proximate location of the firstfocal point.

One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a computer-readablestorage medium having computer instructions, which when executed by atleast one processor, causes the at least one processor to receive from aprobe a reflection of a portion of a second light signal from at leastone subsurface of a target, and determine from the reflection an imagedescriptive of the at least one subsurface. In this embodiment the probecan be adapted to project an identifying mark on a surface of the targetwith a first light signal while at the same time applying the secondlight signal to the target, where the identifying mark is coincidentwith a first focal point of the first light signal, and where a secondfocal point of the second light signal is in a proximate location of thefirst focal point.

In an embodiment where the target is a non-biological composition, thecomputer-readable storage medium can have computer instructions to causethe at least one processor to detect from the image a fault in thenon-biological composition.

In an embodiment where the target is a biological tissue, thecomputer-readable storage medium can have computer instructions to causethe at least one processor to detect from the image a presence of abiofilm or other form of biological abnormality.

In one embodiment the computer-readable storage medium can have computerinstructions to cause the at least one processor to receive a reflectionof the identifying mark at a camera sensing device, and project theidentifying mark on a display.

FIGS. 1-2 depict illustrative embodiments of rear and sidecross-sectional views of a probe 100. From the rear view shown in FIG.1, the probe 100 comprise a mechanical subassembly 102 that can coupleto a tethered power source or a battery accessory which can be engagedwith the probe 100 by a rotational or axial mechanism (not shown). Thetethered power source or battery accessory can be used to supply a powersignal to a superluminescent diode 104 (herein referred as diode 104),which serves as a first light source in the probe 100. The diode 104operates in a first region of the light spectrum (e.g., 5-100nanometers-nm). The diode 104 enables visualization of a target such asbiological or non-biological material. It will be appreciated that thediode 104 can be replaced with other light sources such as ahalogen-based light source, an electroluminescent light source, aphosphor-luminescent light source, a filament light source, a lightemitting polymer light source, or a laser light source. These and othersuitable light sources are contemplated by the present disclosure.

A first light signal 101 emitted by the diode 104 can be focused with acondensing lens 106. The focused light passes through a marking device108 for projecting a mark on the target (e.g., cross-hairs). The focusedlight continues through a cavity 110 and traverses an optical component116. The optical component 116 can be, for example, a mirror, whichallows the first light signal 101 emitted by the diode 104 to traverse abottom surface of the optical component 116 and exit a top surface ofthe optical component 116 substantially without diffraction, while theoptical component 116 orthogonally reflects at its top surface a secondlight signal 103 emitted by a fiber 118 coupled to a second light source(see reference 502 in FIG. 5). The second light signal 103 operates in anear-infrared portion of the light spectrum.

In more detail, the optical component 116 can be a hot minor having theproperties of reflecting from a top surface light signals operating inthe near-infrared portion of the light spectrum and allowing lightsignals operating in another portion of the light spectrum (e.g., 5-100nm) to traverse the mirror from a bottom surface and exiting the topsurface without diffraction. The optical component 116 can be positionedbetween the diode 104 and the fiber 118 so that the focal points of thefirst and second light signals 101 and 103, respectively, are coincident(or nearly coincident) with each other as will be described later inreference to FIGS. 3-4.

Once the second light signal 103 is orthogonally reflected by theoptical component 116, the first light signal 101 and the second lightsignal 103 converge on a coaxial optical path 130, which continuesthrough a focusing lens 120. The focusing lens 120 can be coupled to aslideable subassembly 122, which enables adjustment of a position of thefocusing lens 120 so that the focal points of both the first and secondlight signals 101 and 103 can be moved simultaneously to a new positionwithout changing the relative distance between the focal points of thefirst and second light signals 101 and 103. The thumbwheel 202 shown inFIG. 2 illustrates a way to mechanically adjust the slideable assembly122. It will be appreciated that the thumbwheel can be replaced with aslideable mechanical pin, or other manual or motorized mechanism.

After traversing the focusing lens 120, a portion of the coaxial opticalpath 130 of the first and second light signals 101 and 103 isorthogonally reflected off a surface of a beam splitter 206 and isredirected to a first lens 208, a second lens 210, and a third lens 212before reaching a speculum 214 (which can be modular, i.e., replaceableto accommodate different targets). The first, second, and third lens208, 210 and 212 help to correct aberrations in the light signals andprovide a means to magnify a viewing of the mark on a target 216 by wayof an observation window 124 shown in FIG. 1.

Upon reflecting from the target 216, the first and second light signals101, 103 travel on a reverse coaxial optical path 130 traversing thefirst, second and third lenses 208, 210, 212 in reverse order towardsthe beam splitter 206, which allows a first portion (e.g., 50% of thefirst and second light signals 101, 103) to travel through the beamsplitter 206 without reflection towards the observation window 124 shownin FIG. 1. The observation window 124 enables a visualization of themark (e.g., cross-hairs) associated with the first light signal 103 thatreflects from the target 216. Since near-infrared light is not visible,it is not possible to see the reflection of the second light signal 103from the target 216.

A second portion (e.g., 50%) of the first and second light signals 101,103 of the reverse coaxial optical path 130 reflect from the beamsplitter 206 and travel towards the optical component 116 aftertraversing the focusing lens 120. The second light signal 103 reflectsfrom the optical component 116 and travels towards the fiber 118 andcontinues on a path for processing by a system 500 shown in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 3-4 illustrate an embodiment for positioning the optical component116 between the diode 104 and the fiber 118 in order to align the focalpoints of each light source so that they coincide at location 308(depicted by the symbol “X_(1,2)”, representing focal point 1 of thefirst light signal 101 and focal point 2 of the second light signal103). In particular, FIG. 3 illustrates the input paths of each lightsource towards a target 216, while FIG. 4 illustrates the return pathsof each light source from target 216. In one embodiment, the opticalcomponent 116 can be positioned within the probe 100 so that it islocated a first distance measured from a starting point of the firstlight signal 101 emitted by the condensing lens 106 to a point ofcontact of the first light signal 101 on a bottom surface of the opticalcomponent 116, and a second distance measured from a starting point ofthe second light signal 103 emitted by the fiber 118 to a point ofcontact of the second light signal 103 on a top surface of the opticalcomponent 116. Using known optical design principles, with anunderstanding of the properties of the optical component 116 (such asthe optical component's thickness, composition, and so on), one canchoose the first and second distances such that the focal points of thefirst and second light signals 101 and 103 are coincident (or nearlycoincident) with each other at location 308.

In the illustration of FIG. 3, location 308 is shown before the egresspoint of the speculum 214 depicted by reference 304. To performmeasurements of the subsurfaces of the target 216, the focal points ofthe first and second light signals 101 and 103 should be repositioned atapproximately a top surface of the target 216. This can be accomplishedby adjusting the focusing lens 120 using the thumbwheel 202 shown inFIG. 2. By adjusting the thumbwheel 202 and visualizing through window124 the mark produced by the first light signal 101, a user of the probe100 can reposition the focal points on the target 216 as illustrated inFIG. 4. In this illustration, the focusing lens 120 is moved (depictedby the up/down arrow 401) so that the focal points (X_(1,2)) are placedat approximately a top surface of the target 216 without separating thefocal points from each other. An expanded view of the target 216 isdepicted with reference 402 to illustrate what happens once the focalpoints have been repositioned on the target 216.

In this illustration, the first light signal 101 is reflected from thetop surface 310 of the target 216 with minimal penetration of thetarget. This is because the first light signal 101 can be chosen tooperate in a first portion of the light spectrum such that the firstlight signal 101 reflects with minimal or no penetration of the target216. The second light signal 103, however, is chosen to operate in asecond portion of the light spectrum to enable so that it penetrates aportion of subsurfaces of the target 216 thereby causing a scattering ofreflections at varying depths (shown by the multitude of light raysemanating from the target 216).

The reflections as noted earlier travel on a reverse coaxial opticalpath 130. A portion of the first light signal 101 travels through thebeam splitter 206, thereby providing the user of the probe 100 a meansto visualize the position of the mark (e.g., cross-hairs) on the topsurface 310 of the target 216. Once the user focuses the cross-hairs onthe top surface 310 of the target 216, the focal point of the secondlight signal 103 is also focused on the top surface 310 since thedistance between the focal points of both light signals remainsunchanged. The mark associated with the first light signal 101 serves asan aid for placing the focal point of the second light signal 103 on thetop surface 310 of the target 216 since the user of the probe 100 isunable to see near-infrared light. As described earlier, the scatteredreflections of the second light signal 103 travel back through theoptical system of the probe 100 to the fiber 118 on a path forprocessing by system 500 in FIG. 5.

System 500 can comprise a broadband source 502, which generatesnear-infrared light which is split by a beam splitter 504 into two lightsignals, sending a reference signal to a reference mirror 506 and asample signal to the probe 100 via the fiber 118. The reflectedreference signal from the reference mirror 506 and the scatteredreflections of the second light signal 103 travel through the beamsplitter 504 to a computing device 508 capable of sensing aninterference pattern of near-infrared light reflected from the target216 and the reference signal reflected from the reference mirror 506.

The computing device 508 can utilize, for example, an optical coherencetomography (OCT) spectrometer to analyze the interference and providesignal plots and/or imaging information which can be displayed on apresentation device 510. Samples of signal plots and an OCT imagegenerated by an OCT spectrometer are shown in FIGS. 7-9. Imagesgenerated by the OCT spectrometer can be two or three dimensional imagesdescriptive of the subsurfaces of the target 216 and can be displayedcontemporaneously with a signal plot such as shown in FIG. 9.

System 500 can be used in various applications where analyzingsubsurfaces of target materials is desirable. For example, system 500can be utilized in medical applications such as in the case of an OCTotoscope probe having the optical system described above for probe 100(referred to herein as OCT probe 100). A physician or nurse practitionercan, for example, place the speculum 216 of the OCT probe 100 in an earcavity of a patient, and with thumbwheel 202 focus the cross-hairs onthe patient's tympanic membrane, which can be visualized through theobservation window 124.

Once the cross-hairs have been focused, the clinician can visualize ondisplay 510 signal plots and/or OCT images descriptive of thesubsurfaces of the tympanic membrane. If the patient's tympanic membraneis healthy, the physician or nurse can expect to see a signal plot thatis indicative of a normal membrane such as shown in FIG. 7. If thetympanic membrane has an abnormal structure such as a biofilm behind theeardrum, which is indicative of otitis media, a common illness inchildren, the clinician can expect to see a signal plot such as shown inFIG. 8. The OCT probe 100 can be designed with removable speculums toenable the physician or nurse to select a speculum that best fits thepatient. Also the speculums can be designed with an opening 218 enablingan insertion of, for example, a curette to remove cerumen (earwax) or aforeign object.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative method 600 that can operate in portionsof the devices of system 500 of FIG. 5. Method 600 can be implementedwith executable software, hardware, or combinations thereof in portionsof the components shown in system 500. Method 600 can begin with step602 in which probe 100 is positioned at the target 216. At step 604, auser of the probe 100 focuses a cross-hair mark (or other noticeablemark) on the target 216. The probe 100 receives near infraredreflections from a range of subsurfaces of the target 216 at step 606,which are directed to the spectrometer 508 at step 608. The spectrometer508 processes the interference in reflections relative to a referencesignal at step 610, and presents at step 612 images and/or plots such asshown in FIGS. 7-9 descriptive of the subsurfaces at the display 510.

Method 600 can be further adapted to determine at step 614 whether anabnormality exists. This step can be accomplished by statisticalmodeling of normal versus abnormal targets, or by recording signalprofiles and/or image profiles of normal and abnormal targets, which canbe retrieved from a database stored in the computing device 508 of FIG.5 or at a remote database (not shown). For example, the signal profileof the reflected near-infrared signals can be used to detect thepresence of an abnormality, while the reflected light from the firstsignal 101 can be used to identify the type of abnormality by measuringa range of wavelengths (color) of the reflected first signal 101 and/orits fluorescence. The reflected first signal 101 can be detected by acamera sensor integrated in the probe 100, such as a charge-coupleddevice (CCD) sensor, to project images on a display such as display 510of system 500. A spectrometer signal can also be projected on display510.

A clinician can then visualize the color and/or fluorescence of theimages of the target 216 along with spectrometer signal plots to assessa type of abnormality that may be known to the clinician from priorexperiences. Alternatively, image and signal processing software can beutilized by the computing device 508 to determine from the signalprofile of the reflected near-infrared light and the wavelength and/orfluorescence of the reflected first signal 101 to automaticallydetermine a presence and type of abnormality by comparing the detectedlight signals to normal and abnormal profiles stored in a local orremote database. Such profiles can be collected in clinical trials usingstatistical modeling and/or other techniques suitable for profilingtargets.

If no abnormalities are detected, the computing device 508 proceeds tostep 620 where it presents the image and/or plots of the subsurfaces ofa normal target. If an abnormality is found in the target 216, thecomputing device 508 can proceed to step 616 where it can identify theabnormality in the image or plot of the subsurfaces of the target 216.The computing device 508 can be further adapted in step 618 to analyzethe abnormality and propose a solution to mitigate the abnormality. In amedical setting, the proposed solution could be, for example, a proposedprescription of medicine or method of treatment for the patient. In anindustrial setting, the proposed solution could be an identification ofan area of the target 216 having fractures that should be avoided.

FIGS. 7-8 depict how the reflected light signals supplied by the probe100 for processing by a spectrometer can produce signal plots that canbe used for analyzing target subsurfaces. FIG. 7 depicts a cross-sectionof a physical target. In the illustration the target has a top surface702 and a bottom surface 704. When the near-infrared signal travelsthrough optical path A with no obstruction (i.e., no foreign matter atthe bottom surface 704), it reflects from both the top and bottomsurfaces 702 and 704 with minimal scattering. The spectrometer 508 canthen process the reflected signals and produce the signal plots shown inFIG. 8A. FIG. 8A shows a first signal spike 802 representative of thetop surface 702 and a second signal spike 804 representative of thebottom surface 704. Since there are no obstructions, the magnitude ofthe signals are strong.

When the near-infrared signal travels through optical path B and anobstruction is present such as foreign matter 706 at the bottom surface704, the near-infrared signal reflects from both the top surface 702with minimal scattering, while it reflects from the bottom surface 704with a substantial amount of scattering, which dampens the signalreflection. The spectrometer 508 can then process the reflected signalsand produce a first signal spike 806 representative of the top surface702 and a second signal spike 808 representative of the bottom surface704 as shown in FIG. 8B. The dampening of the second signal spike 808 isindicative that foreign matter (e.g., a biofilm in the case ofbiological tissue) is present behind the bottom surface 704.

The wavelengths of the first light signal 101 reflected from the target216 can be detected with a CCD sensor for producing color images whichmay enable a user of the probe 100 to identify a type of foreign matter(e.g., type of biofilm). Alternatively, the computing device 508 can beadapted to automatically analyze the target 216 using image and signalprocessing techniques to diagnose and prescribe to a user of the probe100 a solution that mitigates foreign matter detected at a subsurface ofthe target 216. It is further noted that probe 100 can be adapted tocause the first and second light sources to repeatedly sweep the firstand second light signals 101 and 103 across a surface area of the target216 to enable the computing device 508 to gather sufficient data toprovide the clinician a two or three dimensional analysis of the target216.

This can be accomplished by coupling one of the optical components inthe coaxial optical path 130 to a mechanism that causes the opticalcomponent to vibrate in such a way as to cause the first and secondlight signals 101 and 103 to sweep a surface area of the target 216. Thereflected light signals provide the computing component 508 sufficientinformation to provide a clinician the ability to readily analyzedifferent portions of the target 216. FIG. 9 illustrates across-sectional image plot 902 of the target 216 and its subsurfaces,and a signal plot 906 representative of reflections from subsurfaces ata position of the scan line 904. Computing device 508 can be adapted toprovide a clinician the ability to move the scan line 904 left and rightwith a navigation device (e.g., left and right arrows on a keyboard). Asthe scan line 904 moves, the signal plot 906 changes according to thescanned data collected by the spectrometer.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope andspirit of the claims described below. For example, the otoscopedescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,387, filed Oct. 7, 1969, entitled“Otoscope Construction,” and/or in U.S. Pat. No. 7,399,275, filed Jul.23, 2004, entitled “Otoscope” can be adapted according to the featuresdescribed above for probe 100. All sections of the aforementionedpatents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Inanother embodiment, the probe 100 can be adapted for endoscopy. Theoptical system of probe 100 can be integrated in an endoscope forperforming multiple forms of endoscopic analysis (e.g.,esophagogastroduodenoscopy, enteroscopy, colonoscopy, rhinoscopy,cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, and so on). For example, the optical system ofprobe 100 can be placed near a tip of an endoscope to analyzeabnormalities such as ulcerations or polyps discovered during acolonoscopy without performing a biopsy.

Probe 100 can also be adapted to analyze skin tissue for melanoma orother cancerous conditions. Probe 100 can also be adapted for industrialapplications in which the optical system of the probe 100 is inserted ina drill bit for purposes of analyzing a target prior to or during adrilling action. Probe 100 can be further adapted to perform anautofocus function in order to remove the thumbwheel 202 of FIG. 2. Inthis embodiment, linear or stepper motors can be added to the probe 100to move the focus lens 120. Auto-focusing techniques such as passiveauto focusing can be used to determine the location of the target 216.For example, phase detection can be used for auto focusing the firstlight signal 101 on the target 216 by dividing incoming light into pairsof images and comparing them. The phase difference between the imagescan be measured using image processing means. The detected phasedifference can be used to direct an adjustment of the focusing lens 120by way signals sent to the linear or step motors. The computing device508 can be adapted to process these measurements and control thefocusing process, or a miniature computing device can be integrated inthe probe 100 to perform this function. Other embodiments arecontemplated by the subject disclosure.

FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 1000 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods discussed above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the components shown in FIG. 5. In someembodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using a network) toother machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate inthe capacity of a server or a client user machine in server-client usernetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 1000 may include a processor 1002 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 1004 and a static memory 1006, which communicate with each othervia a bus 1008. The computer system 1000 may further include a videodisplay unit 1010 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel,or a solid state display. The computer system 1000 may include an inputdevice 1012 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 1014 (e.g., amouse), a disk drive unit 1016, a signal generation device 1018 (e.g., aspeaker or remote control) and a network interface device 1020.

The disk drive unit 1016 may include a tangible computer-readablestorage medium 1022 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions(e.g., software 1024) embodying any one or more of the methods orfunctions described herein, including those methods illustrated above.The instructions 1024 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 1004, the static memory 1006, and/or within theprocessor 1002 during execution thereof by the computer system 1000. Themain memory 1004 and the processor 1002 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 1022 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, Zigbee), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) are contemplatedfor use by computer system 1000.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,are contemplated by the subject disclosure.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device, comprising: a first light source foremitting a first light signal operating in a first region of a lightspectrum; a second light source for emitting a second light signaloperating in a second region of the light spectrum, wherein the firstregion and the second region differ; and a first optical deviceproviding a coaxial optical path of the first light signal and thesecond light signal, wherein a relative position of the first opticaldevice to the first light source and the second light source provides afirst focal point of the first light signal to be in at least aproximate location of a second focal point of the second light signal,and wherein the relative position of the first optical device maintainsthe first focal point at the proximate location of the second focalpoint after a focal adjustment of the first focal point or the secondfocal point.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first optical devicecomprises an optical component located between the first light sourceand the second light source providing for the first light signal to passthrough the optical component, and providing for the second light signalto reflect from a surface of the optical component and thereby directthe second light signal on the coaxial optical path with the first lightsignal, and wherein the location of the optical component provides forthe first focal point of the first light signal to be in the at leastproximate location of the second focal point of the second light signal.3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first light signal enablesvisualization of a target tissue.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein thesecond light signal reflects a portion of the second light signal from asubsurface of a target tissue.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein thetarget tissue is a biological tissue.
 6. The device of claim 4, whereinthe portion of the second light signal reflected from the subsurface ofthe target tissue when processed by a computing device identifies one ofhealthy or unhealthy tissue.
 7. The device of claim 4, wherein theportion of the second light signal reflected from the subsurface of thetarget tissue is directed to a system that detects a signal from thesubsurface of the target tissue.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein thesystem is a spectrometer.
 9. The device of claim 1, comprising a beamsplitter incident with the coaxial optical path of the first lightsignal and the second light signal.
 10. The device of claim 1, whereinthe first light source is a light emitting diode.
 11. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the second light source is an optical fiber that emitsinfrared light.
 12. A method, comprising: assembling a first lightsource in a housing assembly, the first light source emitting a firstlight signal operating in a first region of a light spectrum; assemblinga second light source in the housing assembly, the second light sourceemitting a second light signal operating in a second region of the lightspectrum, wherein the first region and the second region differ;assembling a first optical device in the housing assembly, the firstoptical device providing a coaxial optical path of the first lightsignal and the second light signal; and wherein a relative position ofthe first optical device to the first light source and the second lightsource provides a first focal point of the first light signal to be inat least a proximate location of a second focal point of the secondlight signal, and wherein the relative position of the first opticaldevice maintains the first focal point at the proximate location of thesecond focal point after a focal adjustment of the first focal point orthe second focal point.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprisingassembling a second optical device in the housing assembly, the secondoptical device enabling adjustment of the first focal point and thesecond focal point without changing the proximate location of the firstfocal point relative to the second focal point in the housing assembly.14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first light source comprises alight emitting diode.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the secondlight source comprises a fiber for emitting infrared light.
 16. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising assembling a beam splitter in thehousing assembly, the beam splitter incident with the coaxial opticalpath of the first light signal and the second light signal.
 17. Anon-transitory machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions,which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to performoperations comprising: receiving from a medical device a portion of afirst light signal reflected from a subsurface of a target tissue,wherein an optical component of the medical device provides a coaxialoptical path of the first light signal and a second light signal, andwherein a relative position of the optical component to a first lightsource of the first light signal and a second light source of the secondlight signal provides a first focal point of the first light signal tobe in at least a proximate location of a second focal point of thesecond light signal; causing the medical device to perform a focal pointadjustment of the first focal point wherein the relative position of theoptical component maintains the first focal point at the proximatelocation of the second focal point after the focal point adjustment;receiving from the optical component an updated portion of the firstlight signal reflected from the subsurface of the target tissueresponsive to the focal point adjustment; producing from the updatedportion of the first light signal an output descriptive of thesubsurface; and determining from the output a presence of one of healthyor unhealthy tissue.
 18. The non-transitory machine-readable storagedevice of claim 17, wherein the first light signal operates in a firstregion of a light spectrum for reflecting portions of the first lightsignal from the subsurface of the target tissue.
 19. The non-transitorymachine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the second lightsignal operates in a second region of a light spectrum enablingvisualization of the target tissue.